New South Wales

Tracker N12-153608 was catapulted from the carrier at 2200 hours on 9 February 1975 to carry out an anti-submarine warfare close support task. The night was unusually dark with no visible horizon so that approximately three hours of the flight were spent in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). At 0323 hours the following morning, the aircraft attempted a routine landing using the mirror landing system as an approach aid. In the days preceding the accident, the mirror setting had been changed from an approach slope of 4° to 4.5° but the pilot had not been informed of this. In consequence, the approach was slightly high and fast, the aircraft failed to pick up an arrester wire, an event known as a "bolter", and it subsequently crashed into the sea approximately ten seconds later. All four crew members managed to escape from the sinking aircraft and were rescued uninjured. Accident occurred off the Jervis Bay, in the Tasman Sea.
Source: Phil Thompson

Fokker F-27, registered VH-EWL, was operating as East-West Airlines Flight 752/753 from Sydney (SYD) to Orange, Bathurst and back to Sydney. The flight departed from Sydney at 17:06 hours and proceeded to Orange without incident. The flight then departed from Orange at 18:10 hours and, flown by the First Officer, the aircraft cruised at an altitude of 5250 feet which is the lowest safe altitude for the route. There was no cloud below the aircraft and the visibility was unrestricted. At Bathurst the weather was reported as a five knot wind from the north-east and the altimeter setting was 1021 millibars. The crew commenced the descent from a position about 5.5 km west of the aerodrome, in visual conditions, with the lights of the city of Bathurst and the runway lights clearly visible. Initially, it was intended to overfly the aerodrome and then make a left-hand circuit preparatory to landing on runway 17, but when the captain saw what appeared to be a light rain shower slightly east of the runway 35 threshold, and which might have involved penetration during a left-hand circuit to runway 17, he decided to land on runway 35 instead. At 1817:30 hours the captain called Sydney Flight Service reporting that the aircraft had arrived in the Bathurst circuit area. The aircraft, which was still being flown by the First Officer, was turned some 90 degrees to the right and it joined the left downwind leg of the traffic circuit for a landing on runway 35. The aircraft proceeded downwind a little further than is usual then turned onto base leg of the circuit by which time all cockpit checks had been completed except for setting the engine fuel trims to 'full increase'. The captain states that whilst the aircraft was on the base leg he checked that the water methanol lights were on, and that the fuel trim indicators were at 'full increase'. The aircraft was turned onto final approach for landing, at which time the landing gear was down, 26.5 degrees of wing flap had been extended, it was aligned with the runway centre-line and no drift was evident. Flight conditions were smooth. Light rain was then encountered and the windscreen wipers were switched on to operate at slow speed. The flight path appeared to be normal at an airspeed of 110 knots reducing to 100 knots with the rate of descent stabilised at some 700 ft/min. At about this time the aircraft passed over the Great Western Highway (730 metres south of the runway 35 threshold) and at the normal height of about 300 feet above terrain; two or three noticeable turbulence bumps were then encountered and the aircraft commenced to drift to the left of the runway alignment. The aircraft heading was altered a few degrees to the right and the approach was continued in light to moderate turbulence with the rain intensity increasing to heavy as the aircraft approached the runway threshold; the windscreen wipers were then selected to operate at high speed. At approximately 200-250 feet above terrain and prior to reaching the runway threshold, on the command of the Captain, the First Officer initiated a go-around because the aircraft had drifted too far to the left of the runway centre-line to safely effect a landing. The First Officer placed the power levers in the position for maximum power and he rotated the aircraft, by reference to the flight instruments, to the normal body attitude of 8 to 9 degrees for initial climb. The response of the engines appeared normal to the crew and they believed that full 'wet' power was being developed. Immediately after the engine power increased the captain raised the wing flaps from the setting of 26.5 degrees to 16.5 degrees, and he retracted the landing gear. At the commencement of the go-around the aircraft was still in conditions of turbulence and heavy rain and that, initially, the aircraft maintained its altitude; the indicated airspeed then decayed rapidly to 73 knots at which time the aircraft was estimated to be 80-100 feet above the runway. As the indicated airspeed decreased the First Officer lowered the nose of the aircraft slightly but still maintained a climbing attitude. At about this time the captain took hold of his control wheel but the First Officer continued to fly the aircraft by reference to his flight instruments. The indicated airspeed remained at 73 knots for a few seconds then rapidly increased to about 80-85 knots; it was not fluctuating and the turbulence had ceased. The rear fuselage of the aircraft then impacted the ground heavily just outside the boundary of the flight strip, at a point 1240 metres north of the runway 35 threshold, 48 metres to the right of the runway centre-line. The aircraft slid along on the fuselage for a distance of 625 metres during which the starboard engine was torn out of the wing. Cockpit impact drill was initiated by the flight crew during the ground slide and completed when the aircraft came to rest. The crew and passengers evacuated the aircraft at which time there was little or no rain at their location and there was a light breeze from a southerly direction.

The crew departed Bankstown on a local training flight. While circling near the airport, the Dove collided with a private Piper PA-30-160B Twin Comanche registered VH-WWB that was approaching Bankstown Airport on a flight from Sydney with also two people on board. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a residential area located about 3 NM from the airfield. Both aircraft were destroyed and all four occupants were killed. Fortunately, there were no casualties on the ground. It is believed that the crew of the Dove encountered radio problems before the accident.

The area to be seeded was a flooded rice paddy, rectangular in shape and approximately 1,650 feet east/west by 800 feet north/south, with the western bank 95 feet to the east of a river. There was an extensive area of dense timber, generally about 70 feet in height, on the western side of the river and a line of trees along the eastern bank. After making an aerial inspection of the area the pilot arranged for the two men who were to act as markers to take up positions on the banks of the paddy in preparation for easterly and westerly seeding runs commencing along the southern side. The first run was made into the east, approaching over the timbered area and towards the low sun. run was then made to the west followed by a steep pull-up and turn over the trees. The third run, again into the east, was commenced but no seed was dropped on this occasion possibly because of difficulties in observing and lining up with the marker at the western end of the paddy. The next run was to the west and was apparently normal and this was followed again by a steep pull-up and turn over the trees. Towards the end of the turn the aircraft was at an estimated height of 100 feet above the trees which was higher than on the previous turn in this area and may have resulted from an endeavour to observe each of the two markers in order to line up for the next run. The aircraft commenced a steep descent, with the wings level, consistent with an approach for a seeding run to the east. A few seconds later, when about 250 feet short of the rice paddy, the aircraft struck the sparsely foliated upper branches of a tree which extended about 20 feet above the other trees in the vicinity and the starboard elevator was torn off. With no apparent power reduction, and little change of direction, the aircraft rolled steeply to the left, descended and, after travelling a further 150 feet, struck another tree on the eastern side of the river. The wings and empennage were torn off and the fuselage fell through the tree to the ground and burst into flames.

The aircraft was spreading superphosphate in undulating country to the south of the Wyangala Dam. The section being treated was approximately one mile distant from the strip. The pilot had completed three sorties since commencing operations on the morning of the accident. After the fourth load had been spread, the aircraft was heard returning to the strip when the engine noise suddenly ceased and simultaneously a loud thud was heard by two loader drivers at the strip. The aircraft had crashed in the spreading area, striking the ground in a very steep nose down attitude. There were no witnesses to the flight path of the aircraft immediately prior to the impact and examination of the wreckage did not reveal any malfunction which may have caused or contributed to the accident.

The engine failed and burst into flames during a skydiving display off Manly Beach, northeast of Sydney. Eight parachutists baled out, followed by pilot Ken Andrews (owner of Skyservice Aviation) at 5,000 feet who was wearing a parachute. As he floated down under his parachute the circling Norseman came very close to hitting him. All were rescued by boats. The Norseman struck the sea 6 miles off the beach, 5 miles southeast off Sydney Heads.
Souce: Geoff Goodall

The pilot Colin Pay was involved in a local crop dusting operations. On takeoff, the airplane struck a fence and a tractor then crashed inverted in flames. The pilot was unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed.

The pilot was performing a spraying mission in Aberfoyle when flying at low height, the airplane went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed. The pilot was killed.

The crew was completing a local training flight at Nowra Airport. On final approach, the airplane crashed short of runway threshold and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

The pilot, sole on board, was engaged in a crop spraying mission in Tilbuster, north of Armidale, New South Wales. He had been spreading superphosphate in a paddock owned by Mr. D. Walker when the airplane went out of control and into a barrel roll. Then the left wing detached and the airplane dove into the ground. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, Ronald Leslie Gilmour, was killed.